Locals rage over state govt plans to double, triple, quadruple amount of homes in Vic suburbs

Local councils and residents have raged over the Allan government’s plans to double, triple and quadruple the number of homes in Melbourne’s outer suburbs, amid fears high-density living may be coming to the city’s fringe.

Local councils and fuming residents have slammed the state government over plans to double, triple and quadruple the number of homes in their neighbourhoods as experts warn high-density apartment living could be coming to Melbourne’s fringe.

A dozen local government areas will double or more than double in size by 2051 under proposed housing targets as the Victorian government attempts to squeeze 2.5 million new homes into Melbourne and its surrounds.

Mitchell Shire, which services Kilmore, Seymour and Wallan north of Melbourne, is set for a population explosion with council told to more than quadruple the amount of homes – jumping from 21,800 in 2023 to 89,800 by mid-century.

In nearby Melton, currently home to 69,300 households, will soar by a whopping 190 per cent to 201,300.

Mitchell Shire Council will be targeted by the state government’s ambitious housing plans. Picture: Grace Frost

Home construction experts have warned those numbers can’t be achieved with houses alone and high-density apartments will have to be built in these areas before 2051.

The ambitious targets, which have angered some locals, would mean an average of 50 homes will need to be built per week across Mitchell Shire and 94 in the Melton LGA over the next 27 years.

Land sales analysis by RPM Real Estate shows neither is anywhere near that level today, with Melton averaging 30 blocks of land sold each week for the first six months of this year and the Mitchell shire typically notching just four.

RPM research and data group manager Michael Staedler said while Melton block sales had soared to 145 a week in 2021, those numbers had been driven by interest rates at the lowest level ever recorded and a government stimulus program offering $15,000-$25,000 to people building a new home.

“A fair bit has got to change over the next couple of years just to get back to normal levels,” he said.

Ms Palmieri said the targets must come with desperately needed new infrastructure. Picture: Mark Stewart

Pauline Cornish, who has run community centre Wallan Neighbourhood House for 17 years, said the roads, schools and sporting infrastructure in Mitchell Shire were already failing to meet the needs of the 20,000-strong LGA.

“I’m not against housing but we don’t have enough infrastructure now for the population that we’ve got,” she said.

“We don’t even have a public pool.”

Shadow Minister for Outer Suburban Growth Evan Mulholland labelled the government’s plan for the outer north a “disgrace”.

“All over Victoria our growth areas are being starved of infrastructure, while Labor stubbornly presses ahead with its $216 billion Suburban Rail Loop in the eastern suburbs,” he said.

Closer to Melbourne, Moonee Valley Council and local parents have been fighting plans to double the number of homes in the LGA.

Essendon mum Michelle Palmieri said the targets must come with desperately needed new infrastructure, saying the traffic congestion was already “atrocious”.

“Lots of doctors aren’t taking on new patients, and schools are already struggling in the area,” she said.

“People need more than just a roof over their head.”

She said people need more than just a roof over their heads. Picture: Mark Stewart

In the Council’s recent submission to the government, Deputy Mayor Narelle Sharpe slammed the “unreasonable” proposal.

“For a tripling of the population we will, at least, need another five footy fields, five soccer fields, five tennis courts, and a basketball stadium would be nice,” she said.

“We don’t have the land available to build new community facilities.”

On the opposite side of the city in Boroondara – home to Kew, Hawthorn and Camberwell – Deputy Mayor Cr Felicity Sinfield has called the housing targets “disappointing and flawed”.

“To release housing targets on the scale proposed (a 300% increase on the number of dwellings constructed each year to date in Boroondara) without making any commitment to the infrastructure required to support such exceptional growth is irresponsible planning,” she said.

Shadow Minister for Outer Suburban Growth Evan Mulholland labelled the government’s plan for the outer north a ‘disgrace’. Picture: Supplied

According to the government, the well-serviced area has grown just 24 per cent over the last 30 years.

Housing Industry Association Victorian executive director Keith Ryan said the government must clarify if they are planning to turn the city’s outer suburbs into apartment hubs.

“The market would be expecting detached houses, but it’s hard to avoid considering that there’s an expectation from government that at some stage there will be higher density homes in some of those outer suburbs to get these sort of numbers,” he said.

Planning Minister Sonya Kilkenny said billions of dollars were being invested in road and rail projects to prepare for Victoria to hit London’s population by the 2050s.

She said the draft targets would give Victorians a chance to “live in the communities they serve”.

Originally published as Locals rage over state govt plans to double, triple, quadruple amount of homes in Vic suburbs